The Minnesota Vikings shocked the NFL world at the end of January by firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons.
It’s become painfully obvious that one of Kwesi’s few draft hits in that span could be on the way out next.
The Vikings have a major decision looming on 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison, whose fifth-year option looms on May 1. Spotrac projects that the fully guaranteed number is over $17.5 million, which would be reasonable under normal circumstances for an impact No. 2 wide receiver.
But as Vikings fans know well, these aren’t normal circumstances.
His DUI suspension hurt the team in 2025, and certainly didn’t help young quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s development. Addison was benched by head coach Kevin O’Connell in the first quarter of their Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns, led Minnesota’s receivers in dropped passes, and had another off-field incident for trespassing shortly after the regular season.
The Vikings got good news on that latter situation, as Addison is not expected to face another NFL suspension. But he’s given the team next to no confidence in committing to him with a long-term extension, which is something all teams with a potential cornerstone 2023 draft pick are considering right now.
For Minnesota, an exit plan via trade before May feels like the most logical path forward for both sides.
Jordan Addison may have already played his last game for the Minnesota Vikings
Given the state of the NFL’s 2026 free agency class, this could be the perfect offseason to engage in the trade market. Veteran wideouts like Addison, Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown, and Chicago’s D.J. Moore could feasibly be made available, and their value should be buoyed by a free agent class led by fringe WR1 guys like George Pickens and Alec Pierce.
The Vikings are projected to have eight selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, including four inside the top 100 once compensatory picks are awarded. The opportunity to add another Day 2 pick in exchange for Addison would be hard to pass up, especially given Minnesota’s need to infuse more young talent (and rookie-scale contracts) onto their roster.
The motivation for Minnesota here is painfully obvious, as Jalen Nailor is the young receiver on its roster who stepped up and earned a second contract the most. The team should also want to see what it has in 2025 draft pick Tai Felton, who saw limited opportunities during his rookie year.
Addison has definitely shown flashes for the Vikings, and the hope now is that he’s shown enough to fetch the best draft pick possible in a trade come the new league year.